Attoenets



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

H. J. GRISWOLD. GIRGULAR KNITTING MACHINE.

No. 448,337. Patented Mar. 1'7, 1891.

lllllunml INVBNTOR:

ATTORNEYS.

a ...u e e h s nu e h S 2 (No Model.)

Patented Mar. 17, 1891.

NVBNTOR l l L ATTORINVEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY JOSIAH GRISVOLD, OF LEICESTER, ENGLAND.

CIRCULAR-KNITTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,337, dated March 1'7, 1891.

Application filed April 27,1888. senil No. 272,058. (No mail.) Ylatenti in England April 5, lese, No. 4,712, mi April 188s, No. 5,597.

To cir/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, HENRY JosIAH GRIS- woLD, a subj ect of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at Leicester, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Circular-Knitting Machines, (for which a patent was obtained in Great Britain, No. 4,712, bearing date of April 5, 1886, and No. 5,597, bearing date of April 1G, 1888,) of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

My invention relates to circular-knitting machines; and it consists in constructing the cams and operating devices, needles, needlebeds, and adjusting devices as fully set forth hereinafter, and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 is a sectional elevation ot a stocking-knittingmachine elnbodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a partsectional elevation. Fig. 3 is a plan view in part section on the line 3 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 4t is an enlarged face view ot part of the main cam-carrier and cams; Fig. 5, a plan of the main cam-carrier and cams. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan of part ofFig. 1; Fig. 7, a plan of the distancepiece 5 Fig. 8, an external view of the cam-adj usting ring; Fig. 9, a View of a needle ot ordinary construction; Figs. 10, 11, and 12, views showing the improved needle in different forms; Figs. 13 and 14, views of the supplemental jacks 5 and Fig. 15 is a detail View of the upper portion of the machine, showing the pin in the arm for engaging with the camholder.

A is the frame of the machine, provided with legs or clamps a for securing it to a table, and with a bearing for a shat't a', carrying a bevel-wheel c and provided with a handle d. The usual needle bed or cylinder F is secured to the frame, and a shell D, provided with an annular rack gearing with the wheel e, turns in a seat in the frame and carries a series of needle-operating cams that operate on the butts of the self-acting or latch needle Z, carried by the cylinder F. A stand G has an eye y supporting the yarn passing from the bobbin to a yarn-guide u, and an arm I, connected with the cam-shell D, supports the supplemental needle-bed L, above which is the cam-holder K,which is carried round wi th the shell D and arm I by means of a pin K2, extending from said arm into the cam-holder, the bed L being kept from rotating with the arm and cam-holder, as usual. As shown, the needle-bed F is cylindrical and the bed L is discular; but, as is usual in such machines, either or both beds may be conical, the camcarriers corresponding in form.

Instead of the usual arrangement of cams in cylinder F for reciprocating the needles, I employ that illustrated in Fig at, in which are shown two upthrow-cams c'l c5 and a depressing-cam c', the latter vertically adjustable and secured as described hereinafter, and the cams el and c5 being vertically movable in a manner too well known to need description. A portion ot the depressing-cam is cut away at each side to receive the ends of the guides c2 and c3, the two guides being secured to the shell and extending to each side from the depressing-cam and over one of the upthrowcams, and serving to guide the needles either above or below the depressing-cam., as the case may be. By thus recessing the depressing-cam the catching of the needle upon the ends of the cam or guides is rendered impossible. Vhatever position the depressingcam may take, neither the ends of the cam nor of the guides are uncovered. By adjusting the depressing-cam c to different positions vertically the stitches can be lengthened or shortened to vary the stiffness of the knitted web, and this adjustment may be etfected with the greatest nicety bymoving the ring Z', which encircles the shell D and has an inclined or spiral slot to receiving thepin s of the caln c. The face of the ring adjacent to the slot w is graduated, as shown in Fig. 8. By turning the ring in one direction the cam is raised, and by turning it in another it is depressed, and by making the slot at avery slight angle tothe plane of rotation a slight vertical adjustment results from a comparatively extended movement of the ring, thus securing great exactitude.

To facilicate raising every alternate cylinder-needle out of action for the purpose ot forming a two-and-one welt, as described in my application for Letters Patent, Serial No. 277,192, bearing date June 15, 1888, I con- IOD struct in the cam-shell D and beneath the path of the needle-butts a supplementary groove E', fitted to carry a series of jacks E2 E3, as shown in Figs. 13 and 14, which may be stamped out of steel, as shown in Fig. 13, or bentoutof wire, as shown in Fig. 14. These jacks slide in and are actuated up and down the cylinder-grooves underneath the needles. I also employ an upthrow-cam E4, which in its normal position is depressed so that its apex falls below theline of the supplementary groove E', in which case the jacks have no effect whatever on the cylinder-needles; but I have only to raise the cam E'L to the position shown in Fig. 4 by means of the thu rnb-screw E5, Fig. l, and the jacks will be raised, as shown in Fig. 1 at the right, and with them the corresponding needles Z, so that their butts will pass above the point of the camguard e2, Fig. 4, and thus out of action above the knitting-cams. NVhen the welt has been made, these cylinder-needles are again depressed by hand.

I may also use this device for raising out of action. the needles which are not used while making the heel and toe of a stocking. In this case, instead of distributingthe jacks in every other groove, I place them in every groove about half of the way round at the back of the machine. When the leg of a stocking has been made and I am ready to knit the heel, I raise the upthroW-oam E4, give the machine a half-revolution, and all the needles with jacks under them-viz., those not required for knittingthe heel-are raised out of action. After the heel and the foot are knitted the same process is repeat-ed for the toe.

To permit and facilitate the adjustment of the supplemental needle-bed L and to prevent its rotation with the arm I, upon which it is supported, it is provided with a bearing, asa lug 12, as usual, which bearing contacts with an adjustable arm C, extending up within the needle-cylinder F, but not fixed thereto. This arm is combined with suitable devices for moving it laterally and securing it after adjustment. Thus a rod M extends through the clamp-legs a, one of the openings being threaded to correspond to threads on the rod, which also passes through a block C', carrying the arm C, collars 14 15 on the rod preventing any longitudinal movement thereof independently of the block. The block is guided by a stationary rod 5, supported by the clamp-arms and passing through an arm G, extending downward from the block. The screw-rod is provided with a head or handle by means of which it may be readily turned, and as it is carried longitudinally Ait carries with it the block O and arm C, and the latter, bearing on the -lug l2, turns the needlebed L, the needles of which are thus adjusted in respect to those of the cylinder.

In order to insure increased durability of and steady the needles in their movements, the needles are constructed with widened heels and the bed with grooves deep enough at the inner ends to receive the said wide heels, and shallower at the edges of the bed, where the stems of the needle only lie in the grooves.

It is common to form the heel and butt of the needle by bending the lower end of the stem first outward and then into the form of a loop v, constituting the butt, and then downward and doubling it back on itself` in a line with the main portion of the stem, as shown in Fig. 9.

To give increased width to the heel, the end of the stem, instead of being brought in line with the main portion thereof, is bent outward, forming a .wide loop w', extending on opposite sides of the stem, as shown in Figs. 10, ll, and l2, the free end being bent rearwardly in the forms shown in Figs. 10 and l2, and forwardly, as in Fig. 11. The needlegroove is deep enough at the lower or inner portion 8 to receive the widened heel; but near the edge of the knocking-off baris shallow, so as to present a bearing for the back of the needle-stem. The widened heel prevents the needle from turning or twisting in the groove and maintains thebutt in properl position, thereby reducing friction, while the bearing for the stem secures stead iness at the point where the loops of work engage with the needle, and maintains it in position to best co-operate with the needle of the bed L.

For the purpose of facilitating the counting of the stitches, the machine is provided with a differential counter so constructed as to dispense with the usual springs, pawls, and ratchets and other parts liable to get out of adjustment. The counter consists, preferably, of two bevel-geared disks O P, Figs. 1 and 3, the former turning on or with a stud 10 and having one hundred teeth, and the latter being carried by the shaft a" and having one hundred and one teeth, so that at each revolution of the shaft and of the cylinder a mark or index on the edge of the disk O is set one tooth or step farther on. As the disk O can be lifted off its bearing, themachine can be set in any required position before beginning to count, and the disk is then setin place with its index at zero, and the counting continues as long as desired. Vhen it is required to again adjust the counter, the disk is slightly lifted out of gear and turned until the desired adjustment is made and then again `set in position. Instead of the wheel P being fixed to and revolving with the handle-shaft a', it may be fixed to some other rotating part and be in the form of a spur instead of a bevelgear.

In narrowing a stocking by intakes upon each rib, as described in my patent, No. 229,401, dated June 29, 1880, the ribs at the top of the stocking are made much tighter than those at the ankle or foot. This may be remedied by raising the supplemental or ribbing needles slightly, say, one-sixteenth of an IOO IIO

inch while knitting the leg of a stocking above the narrowings and then lowering them while knitting the ankle and foot. This may be effected by raising and lowering the supplemental bed; but to do so by altering the positions of the support is not only troublesome, but liable to result in imperfect adj ustments.

To secure a ready and accurate adjustment of the parts, I make use of a movable distancepiece V, Figs. l, G, and 7,which, when set between a nut or collar Q on the supportingarm of the supplemental bed and the arm I, will hold the bed and its needles in the described elevated position, and when removed will let it descend until the nut rests on the arm. The said distance-piece may be detached, or it may be pivoted or otherwise secured to the arm, and while it permits the adjustment described does not interfere with the adjustments resulting from the turning of the nut on the rod.

Distance-pieces ot' various thickness may be used, according to the gage of the work to be knitted or the looseness of the rib required.

What I claim'isl. The combination, with the cam-carrier of a knitting-machine, of the depressing-cam e and the guides e2 e3, overlapped by said cam,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with the vertical bed 1or cylinder of a knitter, of a supplemental bed, an arm Within the cylinder engaging with the supplemental bed and having a block at its lower end and an arm extending downwardly from the block, a rod through the block, one end of which is screw-threaded, a collar at each side of the block on the rod to prevent longitudinal movement of the block on the rod, and aguide-rod through the downwardly-extending arm, substantially as described.

and a movable distance-piece V, slotted to embrace the rod, substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the needle-cylinder, its needles, and jacks sliding in the needle-grooves beneath the needles, of the camring E, having an ordinary main groove or bearing and cams arranged to act on all the needles, a supplementary groove E', and an upthrow-cam E4, arranged to act on the jacks to push the needles out of the action of the main grooves, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination, with the cylinder and its needles, a cam-carrier having a main and supplemental groove, and cams, ot the jacks for the purpose of lifting part of the needles out ot action above the path of the knittingcams and above the main groove, as described.

6. The combination, with the grooved bed of a knittingmachine, having its grooves shallower near their verge or working-edge and deeper throughout the rest of the grooves, of wire needles having the parts farthest from their hooks widened backward beyond the line of the shank, so as to bear upon the bottoms of the deeper part, while the stems bear upon the shallower parts of the grooves, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HENRY .IOSIAH GRISW GLD.

Witnesses:

H. N. GLEAsoN, HENRY JAHRNS. 

